Port Issac RNLI launches £900,000 appeal for new station
Port Isaac’s RNLI volunteers have launched a £900,000 fundraising appeal to provide a modernised lifeboat station for the village’s dedicated crew.
The current station, a small single-storey building, is insufficient for the 46-strong volunteer team.
Plans include reconfiguring the existing facility to store the D class inshore lifeboat and tractor together for faster launches, creating private changing areas, improving operational kit storage, and providing a visitor experience area.
Damien Bolton from the station told us this:
"So currently we have just started an appeal for the restoration and improvement of both the lifeboat house, which is the operational aspect of Port Isaac Lifeboat Station, which houses the charities D-class inshore lifeboat and tractor, which is used to launch and recover, along with all of our PPE, both shore crew and float crew. ."
"We're over 150 years old and we need, as the charities advanced and improved, our equipment."
"We've outgrown the station." He said.
Volunteers will have dedicated access to first-floor meeting, training, office, and welfare facilities.
Volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager Kevin Dingle said:
"Port Isaac has an iconic history of lifeboating, and our community is closely connected to that heritage. Our current station is too small for our team."
"These improvements will allow us to launch quicker, train and meet in private, and support our volunteers’ wellbeing. We hope the wider community will help us fund this project to secure lifesaving in Port Isaac for decades to come."
Planning permission was approved in 2024, with construction expected to begin this autumn and last six to eight months.
During the works, the D class lifeboat will remain operational from a temporary facility at the top of the village.
A series of fundraising events will take place throughout the year to help reach the £900,000 target.
To support the appeal, donations can be made via the RNLI’s JustGiving page.